Product Description
This is a Signed - Limited Edition book which comes with a 45 minute CD of Steve McQueen reviewing his scripts for the movie Tom Horn. This book covers Steve McQueen's final 3 1/2 years up to and including his untimely death from Cancer. Includes around 400 Color and Black & White Photos taken by Barbara McQueen.
Customer Reviews:
A Must for McQueen Fans.......2007-03-10
Wow, the photographs are beautiful and highly personal. It's like seeing a private photo album from this marriage. Plus the text is informative and revealing. I'm so glad this part of Steve's life is now so well documented.
It goes perfectly on my coffee table.
The Real Steve McQueen.......2007-03-10
Intimate, touching, insightful, sometimes hilarious passages into the life of The King of Cool, Steve McQueen. We live in such a visual, media oriented world that we tend to get preconceived notions of who movie stars are, based on what we see. The world saw Steve McQueen as the ultimate man- handsome, macho, cool, someone they could spend their hard-earned bucks on back in the day and get their money's worth at the theater. Barbara McQueen, his widow, saw the real Steve McQueen. She got to know Steve, the family man; Steve, the man who loved the great outdoors and his morning constitutional; Steve, the great mashed potato guru, airplane and motorcycle enthusiast. "The Last Mile" shows how little we all knew of his kindness and philanthropy; how little we knew of his yearning for happiness and how he ultimately found it. The photos in this book will enchant you, leave you wanting more. One of my favorites is one where Barbara embraces Steve from behind. That photo alone is worth the book to me. Beautiful model, handsome superstar, real people worn out from what life has dealt them. You can see it in their faces. It makes me sigh everytime I see it because there's not one person I know who hasn't been to that point and had nothing left but an embrace. You will love this book and you will want more. I guarantee you.
Steve McQueen: The Last Mile.......2007-03-10
This book takes you into the very intimate and private world of Steve McQueen between 1977 and 1980.
Consisting of approximately 150 color photos (most of which were taken by his wife Barbara McQueen) and accompanied by Barbara's recollections of their time together.
Unlike some other photobooks where you sense you are watching the star pose, this book shows you the absolutely unguarded and relaxed side of the man as he goes about his daily life, talking to friends, tinkering on his bikes, dozing in an armchair or washing down the pavement outside his airplane hanger.
These are the sort of photos you would usually never see of a movie star - Steve in the morning before he has showered, looking drowsily over a hot mug of coffee, househunting in Montana with Barbara, or lying asleep on the living room floor with his pet dog lying on top of him.
You really feel like you have stepped into Steve and Barbara's house, it is that personal.
The text accompaniment is also very entertaining and educational as Barbara shares her memories of how Steve wooed her, the initial problems he had to overcome in winning her parents approval of the relationship, his personal lessons to her on how to dismantle and rebuild a motorcycle (sadly unsuccessful) or a gun (successful), how he came to propose, and many other intimate and fun moments. Overall it takes you through their entire relationship and serves as something of an autobiography in itself.
All these photos are beautifully presented in a high gloss large coffee table book format.
Released with the first limited edition run of the book is a 45 minute audio CD of Steve verbally working through the script of the film "Tom Horn". It is fascinating to hear him talk about his vision of the film, rework the script and plan his character. You get a real sense of the epic film he wanted Tom Horn to be (but was denied due to the studio slashing the budget), and you realise just how insightful he was with film and acting. The amount of thought he puts into his role should forever dispel the notion that he just played himself on film.
Steve McQueen - The Last Mile is a very special book and no fans collection will be complete without it.
Fantastic!.......2007-03-10
A fantastic book on the last years of legend Steve McQueen! Great job by Barbara McQueen and Marshall Terrill! Touching moments! Great photos!
BITCH"EN.......2007-03-08
Just recieved "the Last Mile" in the mail. The photos and text are outstanding !! The book could have been twice as big. Great job Barbara and Marshall!!
Book Description
Take a Walk on the Dark Side is the ultimate book for today's rock and roll fan: a fascinating compendium of facts, fictions, prophecies, premonitions, coincidences, hoaxes, doomsday scenarios, and other urban legends about some of the world's most beloved and mysterious pop icons.
Updating, revising, and expanding on material from his cult classic Hellhounds on Their Trail, Patterson offers up a delectable feast of strange and occasionally frightening rock and roll tales, featuring the ironies associated with the tragic deaths of many rock icons, unsolved murders, and other tales from the "fell clutch of circumstance."
Beginning with the fateful place where it all started -- a deserted country crossroads just outside Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil -- through the Buddy Holly curse (rock and roll's first great tragedy) and beyond, this incredible volume uncovers some of rock and roll's most celebrated murders, twists of fate, and decades-long streaks of bad luck that defy rational explanation. Inside you'll find:
- Facts about Jimmy Page and the Zeppelin Curse.
- Chilling quirks of fate in the fatalities in the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- Facts about Jimmy Page and the Zeppelin curse
- Chilling quirks of fate surrounding the deaths of musicians in the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd
- A provocative look at "The Club," membership in which requires an untimely death at age twenty-seven and whose inductees include Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin
- Cryptic messages in song lyrics that have proved eerily prophetic
Carefully researched, wildly enjoyable, and often harrowing, Take a Walk on the Dark Side takes the reader on a mysterious ride through rock and roll history.
Customer Reviews:
A High School Teacher's Lame Claim to Fame.......2007-07-23
Whether you are a true fan of rock and roll, or just a kid trying to pick up facts to impress your friends with your way-hip knowledge of 60's and 70's pop culture, this book is NOT for you. The author makes so many careless mistakes, even a naive child of the 90's can pick up on them. For example, on page 105, Patterson claims that Robert Plant tried to imitate Robert Johnson's voice on "Bring It On Home." Pick up any "Best of the Blues" compilation set, and you will find Sonny Boy Williamson's version of "Bring It On Home" eerily resembles the Led Zeppelin version, to a T. Not only that, but 29 pages later, Patterson states that Robert Johnson's death occurred 59 years before Elvis Presley's, even though in the first chapter of the book, you find out it's actually 39 years earlier. Way to proof read, Teach.
All in all, this book contains VERY LITTLE fact, and A LOT of gossip and twisted facts to serve the author's purpose. (He actually claims in the book to have heard the backward mask in Stairway to Heaven, whereas any respectable Rock and Roll historian will tell you that's just plain silly.) R. Gary Patterson is capitalizing on the rumors and gossip surrounding other's fame. He does not deserve his own.
Good Concept, weak material, poor writing, too much imagination.......2007-01-16
I did not purchase this book on Amazon, but at the local bookstore and just by reading the cover notes. So I did not read any reviews before buying. I wish I did though. The book really is not that deep at all, the writer sticks to some main bands and almost everything written requires a huge stretch of imagination - and I am not really into that.
Lots of factual problems and poor writing.
Bottom line is the book contains - 33% Fact, 33% Rumor, and 33% complete rubbish made up by the author. The remaining 1% is the paper the book is printed on (for the mathmaticians out there)
Couple of examples below.
I'm a big fan of Cheap Trick and they are mentioned in the book as being an Ohio band (Wow!). If such a simple fact is missed, how can I NOT think most everything else I am reading is garbage? I think most people know Cheap Trick are from the Chicago area (Rockford to be exact). And if anyone did not know that fact it is pretty damn easy to find out as they flaunt it everywhere and the information can be found on practically any article or written piece on the band (their latest CD is even called "Rockford" - but after the book was written, however it still shows that Cheap Trick is ROCKFORD!). Also the writer mentions a rumor that Cheap Trick got their name from a ouji board - There are many possible stories behind how they got their name, but never heard that one and not sure any fan of the band has either. Trick is probably the farthest band away from occult type activities and given the author's scope in the book it seems so illogical to even slip that one in there. It is so out of place given the bands he is writing about in that section.
The Janice Joplin story said the band was worried that Janice did not show up to recording sessions the next morning so went to her hotel room to check on her. However, in the next sentence she was pronounced dead at 1:40am. Wow, the next morning starts early for those guys! I don't believe it, I can't believe that Janice Joplin had a scheduled recording session to start between 12:01am and the time she was pronounced dead at 1:40am. A lot needs to fit into that window of time.
There are countless other examples. Cool concept, but just not put together well at all. 2 dimly lit stars.
Great book....fun and kind of scary!.......2007-01-15
This is a great book for music fans, fans of the paranormal, or those who just enjoy a good read. I stayed up late finishing this book because I couldn't put it down and I jumped at every little noise I heard. This is really an unusual and thoroughly enjoyable book!
don't hate me for my opinion, but..........2005-11-30
i just received this book and was completely shocked that it was so full of satanic and occult references. had i known this i would not have purchased this book (and no i didn't get it through amazon, otherwise i would have known better than to buy it). i only skimmed through it-cover to cover and was so disgusted that i threw it out. for those that are into the extreme dark side of life or are interested in reading up on someone elses journey there then this book is for you. it was well written and informative, but unfortunately not for me. still i would give it 4 stars.
Couldn't help but be entertained.......2005-10-14
Some of Patterson's conclusions were a bit of a reach.
Some of his segways weren't all that smooth.
But this book is just plain entertaining. It is chopped full of stories on rockstars making deals with the Devil,lingering around after death, and backed up with just enough innuendo-ish research for it to almost be believable. Well, some of it actually believable. Patterson scribes on about various rockstar-occult alliances (in particular the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin) and uses quotes from the musicians themselves.
Customer Reviews:
Intellectual classic for the whole family.......2007-09-01
The whole family is hooked on this. The classical music that accompanies it is compelling. You think you are there.
Very cool to listen to!.......2007-05-16
Sean Bean does an awesome job on this production. His range of voices and dialects are amazing. Very eerie in the parts that are supposed to be.
Very entertaining.......2007-03-09
It's hard to take such a well known tale and still make it fun to listen to, but Sean Bean's voice and cadences kept me listening to the end.
Great fun.......2007-01-04
We like to listen to audiobooks on long car rides. This one was very well done. Our two children (6&8) loved it.
Great for a family car trip.......2007-01-03
Sean Bean does a wonderful job reading. The classic story kept the kids and parents spellbound during a family road trip.
Book Description
Published to coincide with the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death, Marley Legend celebrates the life and work of Bob Marley in an authorized and fully illustrated biography. In the same interactive format as the best-selling Lennon Legend, this innovative book features rare photographs and 20 removable facsimiles, including Marley's handwritten lyrics and concert memorabilia, even a private sketchbook. The package also includes a 50-minute spoken word CD featuring archival Marley interviews. Rock journalist James Henke relates the dramatic story of Marley's life, from his impoverished childhood in Jamaica's Trenchtown to his spiritual awakening through Rastafarianism, his multinational musical success, and his death from cancer at age 36. In addition to interviews with Marley's family and associates conducted especially for this book, Henke includes thoughts on favorite Marley songs from such diverse artists as U2's Bono, Sean Paul, Ben Harper, and Chrissie Hynde. Marley's message was one of love, peace, and equality -- and in words and pictures, Marley Legend shows why Bob Marley is, as Entertainment Weekly recently called him, "still the world's biggest rock star."
Customer Reviews:
A Must for the true Marley Fan.......2006-12-30
When this was opened at X-mas, brought the recipient to tears. All the goodies packed into the book are amazing & worth every penny!
A NICE CELEBRATORY OVERVIEW..........2006-06-04
This is a nicely packaged (and slipcased) celebration of a reggae icon with beautiful pictures and interesting tidbits...the gatefolds and pockets with little surprises might become tiresome after a few browsings but Bob Marley is one those performers whose legend only grows with time and he is entirely deserving of this elaborate book. It's not too deep but then there are plenty of good books to choose from...in the end, it's all about the music.
Book Description
The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry--the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill--is a towering figure in our culture. But for over a century, no one knew who the original John Henry was--or even if there was a real John Henry. In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, Nelson reveals how John Henry, victimized by Virginia's notorious Black Codes, was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497, and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the CandO railroad. Nelson even confirms the legendary contest between John Henry and the steam drill (there was indeed a steam drill used to dig the Lewis Tunnel and the convicts in fact drilled faster). Equally important, Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford. We see how the American Communist Party appropriated the image of John Henry as the idealized American worker, and even how John Henry became the precursor of such comic book super heroes as Superman or Captain America. Attractively illustrated with numerous images, Steel Drivin' Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song--and a true American legend.
Customer Reviews:
fascinating read!.......2007-07-16
As someone interested in history, the South, civil rights, and folk songs, I loved this book. The author starts by tracking down evidence to propose a candidate for the original John Henry who inspired the song. The author then fills in the details of what John Henry's life after arrest was probably like based on court, prison, and railroad records. Certainly, this part is speculative, as some reviewers have complained, but there is no reason a priori to expect that John Henry's experiences were significantly different from the norm. Besides, the discussion of the horrifying conditions the railroad builders and workers endured is eye-opening. Much of the latter portion of the book discusses how the song spread and the meaning it had at different times and to different groups. The author obviously did extensive research and creates a fascinating portrait of how a song mutates to suit current times.
This book really touched my soul !.......2007-02-09
Although I am a Civil War aficionado, I have rarely read about what happened directly after the war. However, this book has changed my reading habits!!
From the time I was a child, I had a special affection for the John Henry songs and "legends". Well, I had no idea he was REAL-- flesh and blood! This book not only brought him alive for me, but the research and presentation was EXQUISITE. Dr Nelson -- in my eyes you have done a tremendous job of bringing alive not only JH, but the terrible wrongs done to thousands of African-American freedmen (and women) in Richmond, by the corrupt "Freedman's Bureau".
By reading this book, in my mind's eye AND ear, I could see the men and women who toiled in the often brutal conditions, to dig tunnels and build track. I could almost hear the weird and wonderful chants that helped lay the track and ease the brutal conditions and physical pain that these people, mostly (wrongfully convicted in many cases) convicts endured, usually until they dropped dead from the years of toil and/or silicosis.
Could that photograph of a John Henry (page 46) in Bealton VA (not that far from Richmond) really be him? Truth is stranger than fiction - perhaps we ARE looking into his smiling face. And one question I have-- how does the Smithsonian REALLY know which bones are his? (maybe I missed something)
The author's narrative, interspersed with highly pertinent photographs AND song verse kept me riveted to this very complex and highly interesting book.
The book's narrative gives great detail to that era in Richmond that John Henry lived, as wel as the "white house" by the tracks (Federal Penitentiary where so many of these Freedmen were wrongfully incarcerated) and as it winds past John Henry the individual, it reveals the highly pertinent correlation with those railroad songs handed down by word-of-mouth and then collected and sung by the like of people such as Carl Sandburg, folk singer as well as poet, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives.
The book then shows how the John Henry story and ballads found their way into art, and life as well - expressed in the artwork and subject matter in Marvel Comix; expressed in the song and art of striking workers, the WPA, Karl Marx, the Communists and Socialists in America in the 1930's, the "radical and liberals of the 1940's", the Black Worker Protest Songs -- and more.
Of great interest also was the way the South incorporated (and the way it did NOT incorporate) black history regarding John Henry and other related Afro-American folk heroes and song into its school textbooks and library books back in the 40's and 50's.
I borrowed this book from the library -- but I was so impressed with it that I bought one for myself. I want to do my own research (in fact I'm playing some CD samples from Amazon right now, having to do with John Henry and word of mouth folk songs) on these ballads, and those who sang them as well as those who still sing them today.
I cannot find any fault with this book. The fact that I am now hooked on the John Henry ballad and all the history (past AND present) that goes with it is proof enough of this book's influence.
Does Dr. Nelson have a web site that relates to this book? I guess that's one more bit of research that I will undertake!! (I hope he does!)
PS- the "Gandy Dancer's Gal" on page 131 is a tremendous summation on canvas, of the strength and hardships, as well as the joys that were part of these track workers' lives.
A great view of part of American (and Black American) History.......2007-02-01
Race relations are a complex issue, this book was an interesting survey of the issue, following an American Legend how it was molded and re-molded to fit the view of the teller at the time.
The book isn't a novel, and possible starts a little slow but I felt picked up really well by the middle of the book.
Overall a great history book that looks at history in a interesting way.
History of a Railroad and a song.......2007-01-20
If you're looking for a validated, historical account of John Henry, well, Mr. Nelson could be correct - or maybe not. He has found an arrest record for a 5' 1-1/4", black male by the name of John Henry, who was arrested for stealing, sent to prison, and was loaned out by the scalawags to build a railroad. This would make a fine magazine article, not a book.
This history of a John Henry, then, is layered into the history of the building of the railroad, and of the many different John Henry songs (using the songs as a base for history). It is somewhat plausable.
Unfortunately, Mr. Nelson also adds much of his left-leaning political opinions, interwoven throughout the book - tolerable on heavier political subjects - not on what I assumed was to be a biography. In fairness, it is a biography - of a song, not a man. And Mr. Nelson also seems to think that capitalism is evil, while American communists were wonderfully warm and fuzzy (except for supporting Stalin's terror and genocide).
Wish I had read this before my first college history course.......2006-11-19
This book offers a great introduction into what and how a real historian does history. Who would guess that an old dump can be more informative than a documentary movie? The 'truth' about the real John Henry is only a hook for demonstrating the confusion, guess work, and desire to tell an acceptable story that is history. This very readable little book could go along way to breaking the belief of many that all you need to understand history is a good textbook.
Average customer rating:
- The movies were different
- John Ford: From Maine to the Movies to Cinematic Glory!
- Biography that's a page turner!`
- Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford
- Comprehensive almost to a fault...
|
Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford
Scott Eyman
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0801865603 |
Amazon.com
Borrowing his title from dialogue in John Ford's classic Western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ("When the legend becomes fact, print the legend"), Scott Eyman heeds this advice in his splendid study of Ford, finding a convincing balance between the gruff image Ford cultivated and the sensitive artist that Ford truly was. The result is a to-date definitive biography, occasionally prone to indelicate critical assessment while benefiting greatly from Eyman's full access to the Ford family archives. Arguably the greatest American filmmaker of the 20th century, Ford protected himself with a façade of belligerence yet engendered more loyalty among his crew and stock players (notably John Wayne and Ward Bond) than any other director. Eyman illuminates the Ford legend while focusing on fact--on a complex genius who would berate even the most vulnerable actor and then "apologize without apologizing," a binge drinker who never let alcohol interfere with his closely-guarded artistry, and a stalwart Navy captain whose service in World War II became his primary source of pride.
Print the Legend essentially confirms Ford's brief affair with Katharine Hepburn, but Eyman emphasizes Ford's deep, abiding affection for his wife, Mary, who valiantly tolerated his absolute devotion to filmmaking. While hundreds of interviews yield a comprehensive account of Ford's working methods (which the director was loathe to discuss), Eyman expertly navigates around Ford's own penchant for autobiographical embellishment. What emerges is likely to remain the most thorough portrait of a cinematic master who recognized his own greatness without parading it, and whose human flaws were ultimately forgivable by those--and they were many--who loved him. Readers should look elsewhere for more astute studies of Ford's films, but Eyman has captured Ford the man with lasting authority. -- Jeff Shannon
Book Description
Brilliant, stubborn, witty, rebellious, irascible, and contradictory, John Ford remains an enduring symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age and one of its most respected directors. Through a career that spanned decades and 140 films -- among them such American masterpieces as The Searchers, The Grapes of Wrath, Stagecoach, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance -- John Ford left a cinematic legacy that few filmmakers will ever equal. Yet Ford himself was famously reticent about his personal life, often fabricating details and events. In this definitive look at the life and career of one of America's greatest directors, Scott Eyman offers a remarkable portrait of the man behind the legend that reveals how a saloon keeper's son from Maine helped to shape Hollywood's idea of America.
Customer Reviews:
The movies were different.......2006-05-14
Many books were written about Jonh Ford.
All of them tell the story and the profile of the man.
But John Ford was more than that.
His life is the beginning, but the book doesn?t take it as a experience or example for his films.
The exploration is a long trip in this book.
The readers are going to find the artist who control
everything around and his mind to think faster than others.
He made no more than one take, sometimes to have completely control about the film, not suffering the torture of the film process and the editing.
It?s a strange story about the man who won four Academy Awards?
for Best Directing but he never won an Oscar for one of his western films.
The book explores how he created the images and how he felt involved in those stories so different from cowboys, horses and
shots: 'The grapes of Wrath', 'How green was my valley', 'The informer' and 'The quiet man'.
His camera was different in all these ones.
But finally you can see the horizon, the actor,
the music and the ending.
It is a film directed by John Ford.
Thanks to him, the movies were different in style.
He had the conception of an artist.
John Ford: From Maine to the Movies to Cinematic Glory!.......2005-05-16
Scott Eyman has written an outstanding book on John Ford! Ford
was the second generation son of an Irish bartender from Portland Maine who followed his brother Frank to Hollywood.
In over 130 films from such silent classics as Iron Horse to
his four Oscars for best director: The Informer; How Green Was My
Valley; the Grapes of Wrath and The Quiet Man Ford chronicles
the life of ordinary people living in extraordinary circumstances.
Ford made Westerns better than anyone as witness his classic
cavalry trilogy: Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon; Rio Grande and the peerless The Searchers.
John Ford was a bristling porcupine guy who could dish out insults, reduce strong actors to tears and cover his sensitive,
melancholic, brooding intellectual Irish soul with a veneer of
toughness and macho maleness.
Ford was a complex man isolated and in conflict with famly who made great films for over 50 years in the Hollywood jungle.
He was an admiral who loved the military serving with distinction in World War II.
You may not like Ford after reading this fine book but you will be in awe of one of Hollywood's giants.
Eyman gives a sketch of each of Ford's top films and charts the choppy waters of his long marriage to wife Mary and the difficult relationship he had with his daugher and son.
John Ford will always ride tall in the saddle of Film History
as we travel with him to Monument Valley, meet such Ford stars
as John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara and the other excellent actors in the Ford acting troupe.
Anyone claiming to be knowledgable about film who does not know about John Ford (1894-1973 should read this fine biograhy.
Readers may also wish to peruse Joseph McBride's lengthy biograpy of Ford "In Search of John Ford." Both books are well
done.
Biography that's a page turner!`.......2004-11-16
Having read a fair number of biographies in my time, in subjects from Science to American and military history, this book is as fine a work as I've seen. It is quite probably the best work of its kind on John Ford and pulls few punches when presenting the dark side of this complex man's character.
Genius often goes hand-in-hand with madness, and the odd juxtapositions of cruelty and sensitivity, visciousness and generosity within in the same man leaves it difficult for the reader to like him, much less understand the deep love so many of his peers and actors had for him.
The vast limits of his brilliance as a film maker are far clearer to me now and the more so since reading other works on the man's work and times ("Tis Herself" by Maureen O'Hara and "John Ford, the Man and his Films" by Tag Gallagher, to name two).
I am a recent "student" of film after years in other pursuits, and I have always considered Ford's pictures to be the best of the best, among which are "The Grapes of Wrath", "The Quiet Man" and "The Searchers".
It is apparently popular for current budding directors to attempt to attempt to emulate the work of the current crops of popular directors (generally those of the preceding five years or so) without paying sufficient attention to the classics; perhaps even trying to ride their stylistic coattails to success.
I believe that in order to be successful in any discipline, it is imperative to study closely the great works of past generations, just as most successful musicians should have a background in classical music.
I can recommend this work unreservedly both to the casual film fan (it's a damned good read!) and to the serious film student.
Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford.......2003-06-27
I've read other books on this great Hollywood director, and while I can't comment on their relative accuracy, I can say that Eyman's book is the most readable I've found. He writes with a wonderfully fluid style, finds exactly the right balance between enough detail and too much, and mixes in some penetrating observations about the films and their style. He really captures that curious paradox of how artistic genius and personality disturbance can coexist within the same mind.
Comprehensive almost to a fault..........2002-08-22
Unless you are old like me and remember many John Ford movies from their original 50's release dates, or you have a semi-professional interest in film directing, this book offers more than one needs to know about a complex, often unlikeable, sometimes generous, routinely selfish genius. It isn't just a bio of John Ford, respected director with a 40-year career...it also functions as a partial history of movie-making itself, since Ford began before 1920, when films were silent, and ended up in the mid-60's, when wide screens, technicolor, blatant sex and violence and changes in how movies were financed stranded him in a very different professional atmosphere. To a person with a more casual interest in Ford and his films, like me, the book had many surprises. Ford was cruel on the set to many actors whom he befriended away from the cameras, John Wayne and Hank Fonda included. Ford was a binge drinker, and kept his sprees separate from his duties until the mid-1950's, rather late in his progressive alcoholism. Ford was capable of great kindness, generosity and loyalty, but also held grudges for decades. He was not only personally brave in World War II while filming the real battle of Midway, he was tuned in enough to have joined the Navy and prepared for documenting the war on film a full year before Pearl Harbor. He also showed courage in standing up to the Communist witch-hunts in the early 50's. He was sometimes a liberal Democrat, sometimes a conservative Republican. His final decade was full of illness and idleness and loneliness and undoubtedly some bitterness. If you are a lover of "American" movies, John Ford's story will be essential for you. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I'll ever need to read it a second time, or keep the book in my personal collection.
Book Description
In five brief but glorious years, a handful of young, animated performers set the entertainment world on its ear. The Rockabilly Legends - They Called It Rockabilly Long Before It Was Called Rock and Roll celebrates the rebel forefathers who created this raw, driving sound that continues to influence and inspire musicians. This unique volume - part tribute, part first-person recollection, part history, and all fascinating - provides a complete picture of the times. It features hundreds of original rare and captivating photos, including Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and others. Candid interviews with music legends and personal reflections. Stunning design. Includes a one-hour DVD sampler of rockabilly music to immerse the reader into those heady days from 1954 through 1959 when a new, high-energy sound and spirit instantly captured the hearts of fans around the world.
Customer Reviews:
A really great book and DVD.......2007-08-23
This is probably the best book I have ever read on the history of rockabilly and its origins. The graphics are great and make the book a really fun one to read. When I bought it, I didn't realize there was a DVD inside and the DVD is worth the price of the book itself. So it feels like a two for one. Jerry knew most of the people in the rockabilly world and the first hand experience brought a breadth and personal feel to this book. I was also so glad that the Johnny Burnette Trio was in this book too as often they are left out of the rockabilly discussion and were an important part.
I do wish however, that Jerry would have included some females in the story. Wanda Jackson especially - she is not included in this book and I think she should have been. Also I think that Chuck Berry's influence in the rockabilly world and Little Richard could have been highlighted in this book as well. It seems odd they are written about in this book. Maybe some discussion on the pre-Elvis influence of Bill Haley too where he crossed over into some pioneering sounds of rock and roll/rockabilly prior to Elvis.
This is still a great, great book and I am so glad it was written.
Where's Ricky?.......2007-07-03
Jerry Naylor is to be commended highly for his exhaustive research and commitment to what I understand was a seven year labor of love. He truely captures the essence of the talent that made the 50's Rockabilly era so special and created the roots of rock n' roll.The addition of the DVD to complement this volume makes it even more desireable for any student of music history! My only complaint is that Ricky Nelson was not included, since he too was a pioneer in rockabilly and idolized Carl Perkins as his musical mentor!While I realize Jerry may not have worked with him directly he still deserved honorary mention! That aside though, this book/dvd is a must have!
great fun.......2007-06-08
This book is so much fun to read! Looking back, rock 'n' roll has grown to be such a standard genre of music that we don't often think about how it came to be, but this book goes through and shows you step by step how it came about. There are some great pictures and great stories and it even includes a DVD! This book is wonderful!
A must-own book for rock'n'roll historians.......2007-04-15
This is a great book that is not only easy to read, and has an abundance of great early photos from 1954 - 1959, but tells the definitive beginnings of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison. It connects them all through stories of how they all played together or ran into each other during the mid-50s.
Elvis was just a 19 year old truck driver who was talked into going to a cheap recording studio in Memphis in 1954 to sing some gospel songs, and met session player Scotty Moore there. Producer Sam Philips didn't like what he was hearing, until Elvis started singing (during a break) an old blues tune from the 40s called "That's Alright Mama." Philips loved it, and rockabilly (which is what early rock'n'roll was called) was born. They soon after got a slot on the Grand Ole Opry to play just one tune, and Elvis got a positive response from the females. Teenaged Roy Orbison saw Elvis from the front row in January 1955 at a west Texas concert, and he immediately dropped his hilbilly singing of Hank Williams tunes, and started doing rockabilly. Buddy Holly saw early Elvis as well, and it influenced him to start his Crickets. There's stories of Johnny Cash (how he tried to get Roy Orbison on the Sun label), and Jerry Lee, and Carl Perkins, and how they all got influenced each other, and even played together.
Get this book....it's great!
Book Description
Song is an enthralling compilation of songwriting wisdom from 100 of the biggest names in music. From country to rock to folk to alternative, this genre-spanning collection of interviews captures the anecdotes, history, and wisdom of the best songwriters aroundInside, you'll find entertaining and enlightening interviews from great songwriters such as Smokey Robinson, Willie Nelson, Jewel, Kenny Chesney, Cat Stevens, Jack Johnson, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Ray Charles, Clint Black, Rob Thomas, Dolly Parton, Rufus Wainwright, Bob McDill, Lyle Lovett, Keith Urban, Beck, M.Ward, Lou Reed, Roger Miller, Grant-Lee Phillips, and John Denver.
Book Description
Stairway to Heaven: The Final Resting Places of Rocks Legends commemorates the rock n roll greats who have gone on to that big backstage party in the sky. With artful photos of graves and memorials, and text offering in-depth and never-before-published information about the rock stars lives and deaths, Stairway is an elegant, informative, and soulful tribute to musics greatest stars, from Elvis and the Lizard King to the Ramones and Left Eye Lopes. The best gift you can give a die-hard music fan this holiday season, Stairway can best be summed up by the words on the headstone of Blues Brother John Belushi: I may be gone, but Rock Roll lives on.
Customer Reviews:
Best book ever!!!.......2007-05-28
I have 2 main interests. Rock and ghosts.Not just ghost but i think graveyards are cool. So this book was perfect for me. This book taught me so much and i love reading it. It's awesome for anyone who is interested in music!!!!1
Stairway to Heaven.......2007-03-10
This made an excellant gift for a rock fan and someone that is somewhat of a historian and likes things like this...
A masterpiece....for any music fan........2006-01-25
Have you ever gone to see your favorite artist in concert only to go home somewhat upset because they didn't play this song or that song? Well,I thought I would be thinking that way when I purchased this book,thinking that it would not have the gravesite(s) of this artist or that artist or so on. WAS I WRONG!!! This is like a who's who of dead people of the music world. The book in no way caters to just one genre of music. It practically contains every dead artist from all genres of music. From country (Johnny Cash,Hank Williams) to rap (Jam master Jay,Eazy E) to classic rock (Brian Jones,Jimi Hendrix) to blues (Muddy Waters,John Lee Hooker) to punk (Sid Vicious,Johnny Thunders) to even Tejano (Selena),this book has it all. From members of the beatles to members of MC5 and from members of Lynyrd Skynyrd to members of The Ramones and The New York Dolls,no band is left out. There are roughly 100 artists in this 160 page book which includes artist and gravesite photos as well as the stories behind their deaths. No music fan is left out. It is a masterpiece worth buying. Although it contains no directions to getting to the sites,it still can also be used as the perfect travel guide for the rock n roll historian. Rock on!!!!!
Stairway to heaven.......2005-11-05
interesting and fascinating all at the same time. The photos were
wonderful and the text was clear. Highly recommend for both the browser and the reader
Rock's Legendary Book.......2005-10-17
This book is a great synopsis of well-known and some little known musical artists who have influenced our present and past music world.
It is well written and the photos are an added plus to this book.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent! Fast Pace Read.
- Mighty, mighty real
- Fabulous
- You Would Only Want To - - - - Read This
- FAB-U-LOUS, daaaarling!
|
The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, the Music, the Seventies in San Francisco
Joshua Gamson
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0805072500
Release Date: 2005-02-10 |
Book Description
A journey back through the music, madness, and unparalleled freedom of an era of change-the '70s-as told through the life of ultra-fabulous superstar Sylvester Imagine a pied piper singing in a dazzling falsetto, wearing glittering sequins, and leading the young people of the nation to San Francisco and on to liberation where nothing was straight-laced or old-fashioned. And everyone, finally, was welcome-to come as themselves. This is not a fairy tale. This was real, mighty real, and disco sensation Sylvester was the piper. Joshua Gamson-a Yale-trained pop culture expert-uses him, a boy who would be fabulous, to lead us through the story of the '70s when a new era of change liberated us from conformity and boredom. Gamson captures the exuberant life, feeling, energy, and fun of a generation's wonderful, magical waking up-from the parties to the dancing and music. The story begins with a little black boy who started with nothing but a really big voice. We follow him from the Gospel chorus to the glory days in the Castro where a generation shook off its shame as Sylvester sang and began his rise as part of a now-notorious theatrical troup called the Cockettes. Celebrity, sociology, and music history mingle and merge around this endlessly entertaining story of a singer who embodied the freedom, spirit, and flamboyance of a golden moment in American culture.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent! Fast Pace Read........2006-11-04
Joshua Gamson took the reader on a magical journey of Sylvester's glitter world of music, sex, and drugs with the abandonment that was the time of the 70's. Sadly, there was no gold at the end of the rainbow and we, like Sylvester, saw the decline with terrible retribution.
I highly recommend this book; it's a quick read and you won't be able to put it down.
Mighty, mighty real.......2006-06-07
Magic happens where reality and fantasy overlap. It's a space that dance music star Sylvester effortlessly occupied during the outrageous and flamboyant club scene of the mid-70s to early 80s, when those lines were happily blurred on a nightly basis.
Gamson does an excellent job of showing Sylvester's `six-degrees of separation' influence - he worked with emerging stars like Bette Midler, Patti LaBelle, The Weather Girls ("It's Raining Men"), American Idol judge Randy Jackson and Patrick Cowley (Megatone Records).
By focusing mainly on Sylvester, Gamson gives the reader an inside look and feel of the gay club scene that was a mix of Broadway and Bowery Row. Sylvester epitomized that drama and contrast with his falsetto voice but powerful vocals and androgynous but commanding stage presence. He created a propulsive musical genre ("Do Ya Wanna Funk?" "You Make Me Feel") that defined the era's manic, raw and pulsating energy.
AIDS turned the party lethal, killing off both his audience and the mood for high energy music. Soon, Sylvester, along with hundreds of others in the arts and entertainment community, was dead. There are lots of devil-may-care musicians whose audiences escape through their lives and music, but there will probably never again be a time when the audience and the artist were so intimately in synch, both feeling and living the beat.
Fabulous.......2006-01-11
It took 17 years for someone to realize that the world needed to know who Sylvester was and how he impacted music and society. This book was wonderful. Being a huge fan of Sylvester, this was truly a treat. A very good read. I must say, I did learn some things about Syl that were very shocking, but I am glad that I have finally been told his true life story. It is so sad that we can not hear that wonderful falsetto voice anymore. He will always be missed. I met him early in 1987 and he was truly fabulous!
You Would Only Want To - - - - Read This.......2005-11-15
This book is by far the best book I have read this year. I travel alot so I read about 1 to 2 books a week. The Fabulous Sylvester is absolutely fabulous. This book made me Cry, made me Laugh, made me Sing, made me Rejoice, and made me Remember. If you were there in days of disco weather the early, middle or last days of it, take a stroll down memory lane with Gamson's accurate discription of the Garage. And although I learned alot about Sylvester I did not know, this book is a great tribute to the Disco era, as well as the Fabulous Sylvester himself. Like I said YOU WOULD ONLY WANT TO. (DATING MYSELF HERE)
FAB-U-LOUS, daaaarling!.......2005-08-31
This was the best book I read all year! I devoured it... I did not want it to end! I did not know much about Sylvester before I read it but felt like I lost an old friend by the time I finished. Naturally, I had cut the rug to his songs as a young teen and saw his wild costumes as well. However, this book covers his childhood, his struggle to make it big and of course the sad ending that came too soon.
Books:
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- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)
- The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
- The Devil's Highway: A True Story
- The Drifting Classroom, Volume 5
- The Emerging Markets Century: How a New Breed of World-Class Companies Is Overtaking the World
- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 8)
- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 8)
- The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Signet Classics)
- The Power and the Glory (Penguin Classics)
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